Railway signal and safety device.



G. H. KIRKENDALL. RAILWAY SIGNAL AND SAFETY DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.1'5. 1910.

Patented Aug. 1, 1911.

gum/14km COLUMBIA FLANOGRAPH 110., WASHINGTON. D c.

CARL H. KIRKENDALL, 0F COLUMBUS, OHIO.

RAILWAY SIGNAL AND SAFETY DEVICE.

Application filed August 15, 1910.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, 1911.

Serial No. 577,303.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL H. KIRKENDALL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Signal andSafety Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain novel and useful improvements inrailway signal and safety devices.

In carrying out my invention, it is my purpose to provide a combinedrailway signal, and safety device, the latter being arranged at thetrackway, and controlled by the operations of a block signal orsemaphore, so that when the semaphore arm is extended horizontally, toindicate the fact that a block is occupied, the safety device at thetrack will be moved into position to trip the air valve or cock upon theair brake line, and thereby apply the brakes and prevent the trainentering the occupied block.

A further object of my invention is to provide mechanism of the classdescribed, which will embody the. desired features of simplicity anddurability, coupled with economy of installation and positiveness ofoperation.

With the above recited objects and others of a similar nature in view,my invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangementof parts set forth in and falling within scope of the appended claim.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is an end viewshowing the trip mechanism at the trackway, and the signal apparatusalongside the trackway and controlling the trip mechanism, Fig. 2 is aside view showing a section of track and the forward portion of alocomotive, conventionally, the trip being in its elevated or operatingposition, Fig. 3 is a top view of a section of track having my safetymechanism applied thereto, Fig. 1 is a view of a modified form oftripping mechanism.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the numeral 1designates the cross ties of a track, and 22 the rails thereof. Adaptedto travel on the track is a locomotive A, equipped with an air brakesystem of any approved character, the pipe line of which is indicated at3 and is provided at the locomotive with a controlling valve 4t.Arranged adjacent to the track in the usual position, is the standard 5of the semaphore signal B, the numeral 7 designating the usual semaphorearm pivot-ed as at 8 to the post and operated through the vertical rod 9connected through the bell crank 10 and collar 11 to the actuating rod12 which leads to the switch tower or signal tower or other suitablepoint.

In carrying out my invention, I extend the operating rod 12 beyond thesignal and connect the same as at 13 to any suitable form of trip 14,pivoted as at 15 to one of the ties of the track, said trip beingadapted to be moved when in its operative position, into the recess 16cut in the guard rail 2.

From the above description, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, the construction and operation of my improvement will bereadily apparent to those skilled in the art.

When the operating rod 12 of the signal is drawn toward the right, inFig. 1, the bell crank 10 swinging on its pivot, pulls the semaphore arm7 through the vertical rod 9 into a horizontal position, thus indicatingthat a block is occupied. At the same time the trip 14: is pulledthrough the extension of the rod 12 into the position shown in thedrawings, that is to say, vertically upward and into the recess 16 inthe guard rail 2 As the train then approaches, the trip contacts withthe arm of the air cock in the pipe line, and actuates the same topermit the automatic application of the brakes. As soon as a block isclear, the rod 12 is pushed toward the track, thus lowering thesemaphore arm and the trip 14: and permitting the train to proceed.

In Fig, 4: I have shown a slightly modified form of trip, in thisinstance the trip instead of being a straight bar, is in the form of anangle or bell crank lever, so that when the trip is thrown out ofoperation, it will drop down between the ties. In said Fig. 4, I havedesignated the trip by the reference numeral 1 1 It will be noted that Ihave provided an exceedingly simple yet effective form of safety device,and inasmuch as the major portion of the apparatus for operating thetripping member, such as the semaphore and its connections, are at handand readily available, the device may be installed economically and Withthe expenditure of a minimum amount of labor and time.

hat I claim, is

The combination With a trackWay, a slotted guard rail, a signalingdevice alongside the trackWay and including a pivoted semaphore arm, apivoted trip located adjacent to the rails of the trackway and adaptedWhen elevated to lie in the slot in the guard rail, and operating meansconnected to said semaphore arm and trip whereby when the arm is movedto a horizontal position the trip is elevated into position to contactwith and set the air brakes of a train.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

CARL H. KIRKENDALL. Witnesses:

A. L. PHELPS, R. B. GAVANAGH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of I'atents, Washington, D. G.

